Nail strip and nail shaped for arrangement in strip

ABSTRACT

A semi-round headed nail incorporating a formation on the nail head which is particularly adapted for facilitating the arrangement of such nails in a nailing stick, with the heads overlapping. A nail collating method and apparatus which is adapted to be incorporated in a nail making machine for making the semi-round headed nails, such collating and gluing apparatus being particularly suitable for arranging the nails with their semiround heads overlapping with one another, with the shanks of the nails swung at an angle relative to the axis of the nailing stick, with the nail shanks in contact with one another.

United States Patent @191 Leistner I Jan. 21, 1975 NAIL STRIP AND NAIL SHAPED FOR 3,152,334 10/1964 Lingle 206/344 ARRANGEMENT IN STRIP 3,481,459 12/1969 Becht.,.. 206/343 [76] Inventor: Walter Hermann Leistner, 97

Alamosa Dr., Willowdale, Ontario, Canada [22] Filed: Oct. 20, 1972 [21 Appl. Non 299,446

52 US. Cl 206/343, 85/28, 85/30,

, 206/344 [51] Int. C1...B65d 85/24, Fl6b 15/02, F16b 15/08 [58] Field of Search 206/343, 344, 345; 85/28, 85/30 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 179,152 6/1876 Bless 85/30 1,435,134 7/1922 Boley 85/28 X 2,283,766 5/1942 Sbiccamu 85/28 X 2,940,081

6/1960 Juilfs 206/343 Primary Examiner -Leonard Summer [57] ABSTRACT A semi-round headed nail incorporating a formation on the nail head which is. particularly adapted for facilitating the arrangement of such nails in a nailing stick, with the heads overlapping.

A nail collating method and apparatus which is adapted to be incorporated in a nail making machine for making the semi-round headed nails, such collating and gluing apparatus being particularly suitable for arranging the nails with their semi-round heads overlapping with one another, with the shanks of the nails swung 'at an angle relative to the axis of the nailing. stick, with the nail shanks in contact with one another.

v '8 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures SHEET 2 BF 2 PAIENTEDJANZI 191s FIG. I!

1 NAIL STRIP AND NAIL SHAPED FOR ARRANGEMENT IN STRIP- The present invention relates to apparatus for collating nails, and subsequently applying glue or other adhesive thereto for forming the same into a strip or stick of nails, suitable for use in power operated nailing guns. The invention also relates to a nailing stick of the type described, and to a novel formation of nails suitable fo use in the formation of such a stick.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various different types of nails are in use today in power operated nailing guns. Thesimplest form of such nail has a flattened T shaped head. These nails have a head which, in its width dimension is no greater than the actual diameter or thickness of the nail shank. In this way, it is possible for the nails to be collated and laid side byside with one another actually in contact arate slots or notches in their spaced apart position.

This meant that the nails were formed in a conventional necessary in order to leave sufficient clearance for the head of one nail as it is ejected from the stick in th nailing gun.

In order to make the nailing sticks somewhat shorter the .nails may be arranged with the heads overlapping one another andin this case the nails are canted or swung at an angle to the axis of the stick. This enables the nail heads to be offset from one another and thereby the shanks can be'brought somewhat closer together. However, it is still not possible to bring the shanks into contact with one another and the use of a space filling adhesive is still required.

It is alsoknown to employ nails having semi-round heads. Nails of this type cut off flush with the shank along one side, but remain more or less semi-circular on the other side'ofthe shank. Semi-rounded headed nails are superior in that they have a somewhat larger head than the flattened T shapedheaded nail, and maytherefore be used in asomewhat wider range of applications than in the case of such T headed nails. In addition, the use of the flattened or cut-off portion on one side of the head permits the nails to be arranged in a stick with their heads overlapping, but with their shanks actually in contact with one another. In this way, a minimum amount of adhesive is required to hold the nails together, and consequently a much greater number of nails can be formed into a stick than in the case where the nails must-be spaced apart from one another in the stick. In addition, the. less glue that is employed inholding the nails together, the less is the likelihood of jamming of the nailing gun due to accumulations of glue fragments.

In addition, there are further significant advantages to be found when nails can be 'laid in contact withone another to form a nailing strip. Thus, for example, where nails will be formed into a nailing strip, with the nails spaced apart from one another, it was necessary to provide a complicated stick forming and gluing apparatus in which the nails had to be actually held in sepnail making machine, and were afterwards transferred to a nail stick forming machine where they were formed into a stick. This meant two separate operations in a plant, and the running of two separate machines requiring constant supervision, and the consequent multiplication of loss of production due to machine ser-' vicing and down time of one machine or the other. All of these factors tended to increase the cost of nailing sticks employing nails which were separated or spaced apart from one another. Conversely, in the case of conventional T shaped headed nails, it was possible to collate and glue the nails inapparatus which was actually incorporated in and formed part of the nail making machine itself; As a result, it was possible to provide considerable economies in production, and to run such machines much more efficiently.

In the past, it has not however, generally speaking been possible to employ such modified nail makingmachines for use with semi-round headed nails. This was due to various shortcomings in such machines themselves, and also due to the fact thatthe semi-round j headed nails, when formed, arranged at an angle in such a nailing strip with their heads overlapping, generally speaking tended to be somewhat difficult to hold in such an overlapping position or arrangement, and, in particular it was found that the overlapping nail heads themselves tended to preventcomplete contact between the nail shanks. As a result, the nailing sticks formed with such nails tended -to be somewhat irregular and not completely satisfactory in use.

BRIEF SUMMARY-OF THE INVENTION It is therefore a general objective of the invention to providea semi-round headed nail incorporating a formation on the nail head which is particularly adapted for facilitating the arrangement of such nails in a nailing stick, with the heads overlapping.

It is a further and general objective of the invention to provide nail collating method and apparatus which is adapted to be incorporated in 'a nail making machine for making the semi-round headed nail-s, .such collating and gluing apparatus being particularly suitable for arranging thenails with their semi-round heads overlapping with one another, with the shanks of the nails swung at an angle relative to the axis of the nailing stick, with the nail shanks in contact with one another.

More particularly, it is an objective of the invention to provide a semi-round headed nail having the foregoing advantages incorporating abutment means on the underside of the head of the nail, such abutment means being provided with an abutting surface which is substantially parallel to the upper surface of the head of the nail, and is thereby adapted to overlie the same, and

contact the same'when such nails are arranged with their heads in overlapping relation.

More particularly, it is a further objective toprovide into a predetermined angle, and topush the same down said nail slide channel means into shank abutting contact with the next adjacent nail in said slide, with the head of one nail overlapping the head of the next, said nails being thereafter subjected to the application of a glue or adhesive material to hold the same into a nailing stick.

It is a further and related objective of the invention to provide a nail incorporating abutment means which facilitates the arrangement of such nails in a nailing stick with the heads overlapping. In addition, it is a further objective to provide nails of this type which are of a modified-shape along their shank whereby to lie closer together, and thereby form a more secure nailing strip, while requiring less glue or other adhesive to hold them together.

The foregoing and other objectives will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which is given here by way of example only with reference to the following drawings in which like reference devices refer to like parts thereof throughout the various views and diagrams.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a portion of a nailing stick of semiround headed nails, shown in perspective;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a single nail broken away from the nailing strip of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the upper portion only of the nails in the nailing stick, greatly enlarged, and showing the overlapping of the nail heads;

FIG. 4 is a section along the line 4 4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective illustration of the nail collating and gluing apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the nail pusher apparatus forming part of the nail collating apparatus of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an upper partial perspective illustration of a group of nails formed into a nailing stick, and showing DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED 4 EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that a semi-round headed nail according the invention consists basically of a shank 10, a point 11 and a head 12. It will be seen that the head is substantially semicircular, describing an arc which is somewhat more than 180. A flattened portion 13 is formed on one side of the head, the flattened portion 13 being coplanar with the side surface of the shank l0. As shown in FIG.

1, the glue layer 14 is applied around the nail shank 10.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the semi-circular nail heads 12 have flattened upper surfaces 1221, and angled under surfaces 12b, this being substantially conventional, and a result of normal manufacturing techniques employed in the manufacture of nails. When nail heads of this type are overlapped, the angled under surface tends to cause the nail shanksto become separated from one another. In order to avoid this, the nails according to the invention are provided with an abutment or ridge 15, extending downwardly from the under side 12b of the nail head 12. Preferably, the ridge or abutment 15 is so arranged that its free edge is substantially coplanar with the flat upper surface 12a of the nail head 12. In this way, when the nails are placed with their shanks 10 abutting with one another and their nail 'heads 12 overlapping, the ridge 15 of one nail will abut squarely on the upper surface 12a of the next underlying nail head 12.

Preferrably, the ridge or abutment 15 is formed with an outer end 15a which is curved or sloping so as to permit the nail heads to be slipped more readily one beneath the other in overlapping relation, and the ridge 15 will usually be formed as far as possible with a minimum amount of actual metal so as to avoid displacing or damaging too much wood when the nail is hammered in.

The use of such an abutment or ridge. will prevent the wedging effect experienced between the under and upper surface of the nail heads in the part. Clearly such an abutment can have other forms or shapes than that of the ridge 15. Thus one or more buttons or other projections might conceivably replace the ridge 15 although it is a convenient and effective solution to the problem. 29

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, the nail collating and gluing apparatus as shown there, is schematically, as being part of a complete nail manufacturing and collating machine. It will, of course, be appreciated that the details of the various operations by means of which the nail is made, and the apparatus relating to the actual manufacture of the nail is not shown since this may obviously vary depending upon the particular design of the machine, although generally speaking the details of such machines are more or less standardized and are very well known in the art. The collating apparatus according to the invention will be seen to consist of a nail receiving slide or channel indicated by the general reference arrow 20, and the nail pusher assembly indicated by the general reference arrow 21, and the glue station indicated by the arrow 22. Nails are delivered from the nail heading and pointing portions of the apparatus (not shown) by means of the nail transfer fingers 23 which are adapted to raise a nail l0, and to release the same at a predetermined position. The nail channel or slide 20 comprises a lower plate 24 which is fixed, and the upper moveable pressure plate 25 which is urged downwardly towards the lower plate 24 by any suitable means such as spring 26. In addition, an upper'fixed plate 27 is provided forming the remainder of the channel or slide 20. The glue applying station 22 comprises apparatus for delivering'a metered quantity of liquid glue onto the nail, in a band along their shanks, corresponding to the width of the glue 14 as shown in FIG. 1, the details of such glue apparatus being omitted for the sake of clarity since many different forms are available in the art, and the precise form is not critical to the invention.

In addition, at a later station (not shown) any suitable means may be provided for breaking the nail stick into a separate sticks of predetermined length or containing predetermined numbers of nails for packaging and use.

Nails are introduced into the entry of the channel or slide by means of the fingers 23, and nails are pushed down the channel 20 by means of the nail pusher 21. The movable plate applies frictional pressure to the nails 10, so as to control them during movement down the channel 20.

The nail pusherwill be seen to comprise the shaft 28 which is adapted to reciprocate to and fro along the path defined by the arrow A by any suitable drive means (not shown). A suitable bearing block or other support means 29, may be provided as part of the machine, the details of which are omitted.

At the head 30 of the pusher assembly 21, a pair of spaced apart pusher blades 31 and 32 are provided. The nail collating channel or slide 20, and the shaft 28 are lined with one another whereby the shaft 28 moves forward and backwardly along the axis of the channel or slide 20. The nails 10 as they are delivered by the fingers 23 are arranged more or less exactly normal to the axis of the channel or slide 20 and the shaft 28, and in order to turn or cant the nails 10 so as to permit the heads 12 to overlap as shown in FIG. 3, the pusher blades 31 and 32 are formed with free ends which define an angle, corresponding to somewhere between about 20 and degrees, and there being a right angle abutment 33 cut at the tip of the'longer pusher blade 31 as shown, whereby to fit under the head 12 of the nail l0.

The blades 30and 31 are perfectly formed to somewhat less than the thickness of the nail shank 10, whereby to fit readily into the channel or slide 20, and push the nail 10 therealong. In order to control the swinging or pivoting movement of the nail 10 from its axially transversed position to its diagonal or canted position as shown in FIG. 5, the pivot pin 34 is provided, adapted to engage the pointed end 11 of the nail 10, which end is clear of the shorter pusher blade 32, and holds the same as the remainder of the nail l0 swings thereabout. Once the nail has swung into its new position, with the underside 12b of the head 12 engaged by the shoulder 33 of the longer blade 31, the point l1 of the nail 10 will free itself from engagement with the pin 34, and the mail 10 will thereafter be pushed along the channel 20, against the frictional resistance imposed by the 'moveableplate 25 until the same engages the next adjacent nail 10 in the channel 20. At this point,'the shank 10 of the nail will engage the shank 10 of such next adjacent nail, with the heads 12 in overlying relationship as shown in FIG. 3. The final movement of the pusher 21 will cause movement of all of the nails 10 within the channel 20 axially therealong a distance equal to the thickness of one nail, after which the pusher 21 is then withdrawn for reception of a further nail in the channel 20.

As the-nails 10 are moved along the channel 20 in this way, they pass in registration with the glue station 22 at which point they receive a small quantity of glue as described above;

Various alternate embodiments of nail and nail head can be employed with advantage in certain circumstances.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the nails shown there as are provided with heads 41 which extend round a somewhat greater are of the circle than the nail heads 12 on the nail 10 as shown in FIG. 1. In order to accommodate the shank of the next adjacent nail 40 in a stick as shown in FIG. 7, such enlarged nail heads 41 are formed with'nail receiving recesses for notches, indented therein in registration with their shanks. In this way, the two lobes 41a of the heads 41 may fit partially around the shank of the next adjacent nail. Nails 40 with enlarged heads 41 are preferable for some purposes since they provide a somewhat greater holding power than the somewhat smaller nail heads 12 on the nails 10.

As shown in FIG. 8, a slightly modified form of abutment or ridge 43 which is shaped somewhat differently from the ridge 15 in the embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Such a modified shaping of the ridge 43 in some circumstances is found to be preferable, or isin any event sufficient where for example the nail head 41 does not have such an exaggerated flare or frustoconical taper as is shown on the underside 12b of the nail head 12 in FIG. 3.

In some instances, the formation of a curved notch or recess 42 in the nail head 41 may prove to be somewhat difficult to achieve in high speed production, and it may be found to be difficult to match the curve of such a recess 42 with the actual profile of the nail shank. An alternate formation of notch is therefore shown in FIG. 9, which shows a nail head 44 having a notch 45 formed therein with straight cut side walls 46, and a straight cut transverse portion 47. This form of notch 45 may be formed somewhat more readily, and the dimensions and shaping thereof may be more readily controlled during production, and may therefore be preferable in certain circumstances.

According to a still further embodiment, it may be possible in some circumstances to provide for a somewhat stronger bond between the nails in the nailing stick, and at the same time reduce the amount of glue required to hold them in such nailing stick. This will have twofold advantages. In the first place, the nailing sticks will be somewhat more satisfactory and can be manufactured and packaged and shipped and handled in use more readily without breakage, and at the same time, the reduced amount of glue will make them somewhat more economical to manufacture, and considerably more satisfactory in use since the less glue that is required to hold the nails together, the less glue will accumulate in the nailing gun, thus permitting longer use of the nailing gun without servicing or'cleaning. I

Such modified forms of nails are shown in FIGS. '10 and 11, and referenced 50 will be seen to have a shank 51 which is formed with a substantially square or rectangular cross-section, the corners 52 being slightly rounded for ease of production and so as to avoid unnecessary damage to working surfaces, and possible abrasions.

It will, of course, be appreciated that one of the flat sides of the shank 51 will necessarily be aligned with the flat side or notched side of the nail head-53 so that when the nails are arranged with their heads in overlapping relation to form a nailing stick, the flat side of one shank abuts against the flat side of the next adjacent nail. When the nails are arranged in shank abutting relation in this way, the glue that is spread on either side of the nails to hold them together will not be able to penetrate between the nails, but will simply form a glue layer along either side of the nail, as shown as the glue layer 54. Thus in such a nailing stick, the nails of this type will be somewhat closer together and thereby occupy somewhat less space than in a nailing stickformed of conventional round shanked nails, and at the same time, somewhat less glue will be used since it is not necessary for the glue layer to extend all around the circumference of the circular shank of the nail as shown in for example FIG. 1. In addition, the abutting relationship between the two flat sides of two adjacent nails, when such nails are held together by glue layers 54 as shown, produces a nailing stick which is considerably firmer and stiffer than when conventional round shank nails are used, and this is found to provide a somewhat more durable nailing stick in practise.

It will therefore be seen that the invention provides a nail having a nail shank, a point on one end of said shank, a flattened head on the other end of said shank, said head having a perimeter of generally semi-circular shape, and further defining a free space on one side thereof extending to said shank, whereby said nail may be associated with other said nails to form a nailing strip, with the semi-circular portions of the heads overlapping one another, and the shanks of said nails in side to side contact with one another, and, abutment means formed on the underside of said head means, said abutment means contacting the head of a next adjacent nail when said nails are formed together as aforesaid.

The invention also provides a nail having nail shank means shaped with flattened sides and defining a generally rectangular cross-section, said rectangle exhibiting rounded corners, a point on one end of said nail, head means on the other end of said nail, said head means having a perimeter defining a generally semi-circular shape, and further defining a free space on one side thereof in registration with one of the sides of said rectangular cross-sectional shape of said shank, whereby said nail may be formed into a nailing stick or strip with similar such nails, with their heads in overlapping relation, and with opposite ones of said flattened sides of adjacent nails in side to side contact with one another.

it will further be seen that the invention provides a method of collating nails comprising the steps ofmoving said nail along a path in a predetermined plane, into a predetermined-position in registration with one end of said strip, applying a force to one endof said nail, along an axis lying in a plane containing said strip, while simultaneously applying a frictional retarding force to an intermediate portion of said nail, simultaneously securing the other end of said nail against undesired free movement, whereby to procure a substantially pivotal movement of said nail in the plane containing said strip, about said fixed end, applying said force at at least one more point along the length of said nail when said nail has swung into a predetermined desired position, and thereafter forcing said nail against said frictional retarding force towards said strip until said nail contacts the end of said strip, continuing said force to displace said strip by an increment equal to at least the diameter of said nail, and, discontinuing the application of said force after said movement.

It will further be seen that the invention provides apparatus for collating nails to form the same into a strip of such nails, comprising upper and lower wall means supported and oriented spaced apart from one another, and defining a nail receiving slide, movable plate means incorporated in said upper wall, adapted to bear upon nails received within said slide and frictionally engage the same, nail transfer means delivering a finished nail at a predetermined transfer point, said transfer means holding said nail in a predetermined orientation at said transfer point at right angles to the axis of said slide,

nail pusher means adapted to engage said nail at said transfer point and push the same into said slide, said nail pusher means being reciprocally operable to and fro towards and away from said nail slide along the axis thereof,.abutment means adjacent to one side of said part of movement of said nail pusher means adapted to engage the pointed end of said nail, and cause the same to pivot therearound while the same is being pushed by said pusher means into a predetermined slanted orientation, pusher blade means on said nail pusher means defining a nail engaging edge arranged at said predetermined angle whereby to engage the nail at at least two points along its shank when the same has reached said predetermined slanted orientation, and forced the same further into said nail slide.

The foregoing is a description ofa preferred embodiment of the invention which is given here by way ofexample onlyfThe invention is not to be taken as limited to any of the specific features as disclosed, but comprehends all such variations thereof as come within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A nail of the type designed to be formed into a strip of such nails, and adapted to be delivered by means of a power operated nailing gun or the like device, said nail comprising:

a nail shank;

a point on one end of said shank;

a flattened head on the other end-of said shank, said head having upper and under sides and a perimeter of generally incomplete circular shape, thereby defining a free space extending to said shank, whereby said nail may be associated with other said nails to form a nailing strip, with portions of the headsoverlapping one another, and the shanks of said nails in side to side contact with one another, and,

an elongated ridge member formed on the underside of said head, said ridge member defining a surface lying in a plane parallel to the plane of the upper side of said head and contacting the upper side of the head of a next adjacent nail when said nails are formed together as aforesaid said ridge member lying on an axis bisecting said incomplete circular shape of said head whereby to align with ridge members of other said nails when formed into a nailing strip as aforesaid.

2. A nail as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ridge member is formed with a generally sloping free end.

3. A nail as claimed in claim 1 wherein said perimeter of said nail head extends around an arc substantially greater than and said free space defining a recess formed in said head in registration with said shank, said recess being oriented and dimensioned to receive a shank of a next adjacent nail, and permit same to make side to side contact with the shank thereof, with said heads in overlapping relation as aforesaid.

4. A nailing stick formed of nails in accordance with claim 1 and including adhesive means bonding said nails together in said stick.

5. A nail as claimed in claim 1 wherein the upper side of said head is nonnal to the axis of the shank, and wherein the underside of said head lies at an angle thereto, said ridge means being generally wedge shaped in elevation so as to provide a surface parallel to said upper side as aforesaid.

6. A nail of the type adapted to be formed into a strip orv stick of such nails, for insertion by means-of a power operated nailing gun or the like device, said nail comprising:

nail shank means shaped with flattened sides and defining a generally rectangular cross-section, said rectangle exhibiting rounded corners;

a point on one end of said nail;

a flattened head of the other end of said nail having upper and under sides, said head having a perimeter defining a generally incomplete circular shape,

' and defining a free space in registration with one of the sides of said rectangular cross-sectional shape of said shank, whereby said nail maybe formed into a nailing stick or strip with similar such nails, withtheirheads in overlapping relation, and with opposite ones of said flattened sides of adjacent nails in side to side contact with one another, and,

an elongated ridge member formed on the under side of said head, said ridge member defining a surface lying in a plane parallel to the plane of the upper side of said head and contacting the upper side of the head of a next adjacent nail when said nails are formed together as aforesaid said ridge member lying on an axis bisecting said incomplete circular shape of said head whereby to align with ridge members of other said nails when formed into a nailing strip as aforesaid.

7. A nail as claimed in claim 6 wherein said head means extends around an are substantially greater than and including notch means formed in said head means, oriented and dimensioned to receive the shank of a next adjacent nail therein, whereby to permit said shanks to make side to side contact as aforesaid.

8. A nail as claimed in claim 6 wherein the upper side of said head is normal to the axis of the shank, and wherein the underside of said head lies at an angle thereto, said ridge means being generally wedge shaped in elevation so as to provide a surface parallel to said upper side as aforesaid. 

1. A nail of the type designed to be formed into a strip of such nails, and adapted to be delivered by means of a power operated nailing gun or the like device, said nail comprising: a nail shank; a point on one end of said shank; a flattened head on the other end of said shank, said head having upper and under sides and a perimeter of generally incomplete circular shape, thereby defining a free space extending to said shank, whereby said nail may be associated with other said nails to form a nailing strip, with portions of the heads overlapping one another, and the shanks of said nails in side to side contact with one another, and, an elongated ridge member formed on the underside of said head, said ridge member defining a surface lying in a plane parallel to the plane of the upper side of said head and contacting the upper side of the head of a next adjacent nail when said nails are formed together as aforesaid said ridge member lying on an axis bisecting said incomplete circular shape of said head whereby to align with ridge members of other said nails when formed into a nailing strip as aforesaid.
 2. A nail as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ridge member is formed with a generally sloping free end.
 3. A nail as claimed in claim 1 wherein said perimeter of said nail head extends around an arc substantially greater than 180*, and said free space defining a recess formed in said head in registration with said shank, said recess being oriented and dimensioned to receive a shank of a next adjacent nail, and permit same to make side to side contact with the shank thereof, wIth said heads in overlapping relation as aforesaid.
 4. A nailing stick formed of nails in accordance with claim 1 and including adhesive means bonding said nails together in said stick.
 5. A nail as claimed in claim 1 wherein the upper side of said head is normal to the axis of the shank, and wherein the underside of said head lies at an angle thereto, said ridge means being generally wedge shaped in elevation so as to provide a surface parallel to said upper side as aforesaid.
 6. A nail of the type adapted to be formed into a strip or stick of such nails, for insertion by means of a power operated nailing gun or the like device, said nail comprising: nail shank means shaped with flattened sides and defining a generally rectangular cross-section, said rectangle exhibiting rounded corners; a point on one end of said nail; a flattened head of the other end of said nail having upper and under sides, said head having a perimeter defining a generally incomplete circular shape, and defining a free space in registration with one of the sides of said rectangular cross-sectional shape of said shank, whereby said nail may be formed into a nailing stick or strip with similar such nails, with their heads in overlapping relation, and with opposite ones of said flattened sides of adjacent nails in side to side contact with one another, and, an elongated ridge member formed on the under side of said head, said ridge member defining a surface lying in a plane parallel to the plane of the upper side of said head and contacting the upper side of the head of a next adjacent nail when said nails are formed together as aforesaid said ridge member lying on an axis bisecting said incomplete circular shape of said head whereby to align with ridge members of other said nails when formed into a nailing strip as aforesaid.
 7. A nail as claimed in claim 6 wherein said head means extends around an arc substantially greater than 180*, and including notch means formed in said head means, oriented and dimensioned to receive the shank of a next adjacent nail therein, whereby to permit said shanks to make side to side contact as aforesaid.
 8. A nail as claimed in claim 6 wherein the upper side of said head is normal to the axis of the shank, and wherein the underside of said head lies at an angle thereto, said ridge means being generally wedge shaped in elevation so as to provide a surface parallel to said upper side as aforesaid. 